Clamp for railway-frogs.



-" No. 682,|36. Patented Sept. 3; 190i. v

a, 8.; DONNELLY.

CLAMP FOR RAILWAY mas.

(Application filed Dec. 6, 1900.}

' ("0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EETcE.

GEORGE E. DONNELLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMASJ. PEDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

CLAM P FOR RAlLWAY-FROGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,136, datedSeptember 3, 1901. Application filed December 6,1900- Serial No. 38,889.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. DONNELLY, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident'of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clampsfor Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to the to clamping mechanism used inretaining in proper position the wing-rails or guard-rails of arailway-frog.

The main objects of my invention are to provide improved clampingmechanism designed to withstand the strain on the rails and to make suchmechanism readily adj ustable and to some extent self-adjustable tocompensate for ordinary wear on the clamping parts.

The further objects of the different parts with which I put my inventioninto practice will be understood from the following description, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- 2 5 Figure 1 is a topplan of a railway-frog and clamping mechanism constructed according tomy invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on theline 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section of one ofthe brackets for adjustment to the side of the rail, showing thenut-lock and spring therein. Fig. 6 is a top plan of the auxiliary jawused in connection with the clamp.

In the device shown in the drawings the wing-rails 1 and main rails 2are riveted to the tie-plates 5. The wing-rails are connected by theclamps 6 and 7 Each of said clamps has a jaw S with an aperture thereinfor receiving the pin 9, which passes through suitable apertures in therails. Each of said clamps has an opposite jaw 10, which has anauxiliary jaw or block 11, seated inwardly of same. The jaw 10 rests ina recess 12 in the block 11. Said block is provided with wings 13 and14, which have their free ends projecting toward the base-flange 15 ofthe adjoining wing-rail. An opposite block 16 rests go against saidwing-rail and has an aperture 17 therein for receiving one end of thepin 9. The wings 13 and 14 extend on each side of the block 16 and underthe wedge. The blocks 11 and 16 are grooved on their inner faces forreceiving the wedge 18. Said wedge is .provided with a threadedshank-19, which passes through an aperture in the bracket 20. Thebracket 20 has a chamber or pocket 21 in the side toward the free end ofthe shank 19. A nut 22 is threaded upon the free end of said shank andhas the sleeve 23 pressed toward said nut by the spring 24, which isseated in the pocket 21. The sleeve 23 is provided with a key 25, whichis slidable in the keyway 26 of the bracket 20. At the free end of thewing-rail on the side toward the wedge 18 a bracket 27 supports thethreaded shank 19 and has an extension 28 on the inside of the rail.Said extension is slotted to receive the foot-guard 29. The oppositewingrail has a bracket 30 bolted to the rail and which is also slottedto receive the foot-guard 31. Blocks 32 and 33 are seated between thewing-rails at each of the clamps. The operation of my device is asfollows: The pin 9 is first passed through the rails in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 3. The clamp 6 is then placed in proper relativeposition, with the pin extending into the aper ture in the jaw 8. Theblock 11 is then placed in proper position inward of the jaw 10, and theblock 16 is afterward inserted, with the pin 9 projecting into itsaperture. The operator will now pass the wedge 18 between the blocks 11and 16 and through the bracket 20, spring 26, and sleeve 23. The nut 22will now be screwed upon the free end of the shank 19. To tighten thenut, the operator will press the sleeve 20 inwardly against the springand then turn the nut 22 until same is locked by the lug 34, whichprojects into a suitable recess in said nut. It will be seen that if theblocks 11 and 16, the jaw 10, or the wedge 18 is jammed through a strainon the wing-rails, so as to loosen the wedge 5 18 in its seat, thelatter will be drawn toward the bracket 20 through the action of thespring 24. This will again tighten the clamp. The block 11 relieves thestrain on the jaw 10 and avoidsthe danger of breakage of said jaw. Thepin 9 serves to hold the clamping parts against sliding movementlongitudinally of the wing-railsin its seat; and means for adjustablylocking said wedge between said rail and clamp-j aw.

2. The combination of a pair of diverging rails; a clamp connecting saidrails; said vtudinally of said rails; a wedge acting beclamp beingsecured against movementlongi tween one of the rails and the clamp-jaw;a

spring normally tightening said wedge in its seat; and means foradjustably locking said wedge between said rail and clamp-jaw.

3. The combination of a pair of diverging rails; a clamp connecting saidrails; a block removably seated between one of the rails and itsclamp-jaw and havinga seat for said clampjaw; and a wedge acting betweensaid block and the adjoining rail and thereby urging the block againstsaid clamp-jaw.

4.-. The combination of a pair of diverging rails; a clamp connectingsaid rails; said clamp being secured against movement longit'udinally ofsaid rails; a wedge acting be- I tween one of the rails and theclamp-jaw and having athreaded shank; an apertured mem ber secured tosaid rail and having the threaded shank passing through the aperture; anut on said shank, acting toward said member and whereby the wedge maybe adjusted between said rail and clamp-jaw; and a spring acting betweensaid nut and apertured member for tightening said wedge.

5. The combination of a pair of diverging rails; a clamp connecting saidrails and havin g one of its jaws secured against movementlongitudinally of said rails; a block secured against movementlongitudinally of said rails between the other jaw and its rail; a wedgeacting between such jaw and said block; means for adj ustably lockingsaid wedge between such jaw and block; and a spring normally tighteningsaid wedge in its seat.

6. The combination of apair of diverging rails; a clamp connecting saidrails and having one of its jaws secured against movement longitudinallyof said rails; a block secured against movement longitudinally of saidrails between the other jaw and its rail; 2. second block engaged by andremovably seated inward of said other jaw; a wedge acting between saidblocks; and means for adjustably locking the wedge between said blocks.

7. The combination of a pair of diverging rails; a clamp connecting saidrails; a block removably seated between one of the rails and v itsclamp-jaw and havinga seat for said clampjaw; a wedge acting betweensaid block and the adjoining rail and thereby urging the block againstsaid clamp-jaw; and a spring normally tightening said wedge between theblock and said adjoining rail.

Signed at Chicago this 1st day of December, 1900.

GEORGE B. DONNELLY. Witnesses:

WM. R. RUMMLER, F. T. VON DEBODE.

